By Abba Gwale
Dan Kuni, a rocky village located at a distance of just 13 kilometers from Kano city, under Tofa Local Government Area, is in dire need of help, as the community lacks all social amenities for their wellbeing.
The village, which is home to about 2000 people, has only one borehole, located at a block of three classrooms in a nomadic primary school that has only two teachers, which is also far away from the village.
The way people of that community live, one can say that they do not belong to the Kano State that is generating billions monthly as a revenue, in addition to huge federal allocations. The abject poverty and deplorable living conditions of Dan Kuni village make one to question whether they are still part of Kano, which is rated as one of the best states in the country.
During a visit to the village by SAHELIAN TIMES, it was observed that the only existing borehole is not functioning well to cater for the needs of the residents and their domestic animals, as it dispenses water after much difficulty.
Malam Garba Abdullahi, one of the village elders told SAHELIAN TIMES that they were forced to sell out their farmlands and purchase transport means like donkeys and motorcycles to travel far to a contaminated stream, which they share with animals, and fetch water for cooking and their daily usage.
Umar Muhammad, another villager, also narrated that sometimes they wonder if they’re still part of Kano. They feel like they are no longer living in Nigeria where everybody is saying the country is one of the wealthiest nations in the world.
‘We are calling on government and individuals to come to our rescue because we lack almost everything that human being needs to live, and we are all Nigerians like those in the city; we should not been neglected, we do not deserve that,’’ he pleaded.
The village has only one Nomadic primary school that has only two classrooms with two teachers that attend classes occasionally because they are also far away from the village, even though they’re still employees of the government and are receiving their monthly salary.
SAHELIAN TIMES learned that, the classes are further divided into two each to accommodate more students up to primary six, who study under terrible conditions.
Students have to stop going to the school especially during raining season because of the bad condition of the ceiling, windows and doors.
Malam Garba appealed to the relevant authorities to provide standard primary school for the village as their children are in dire need of education.
When contacted for comments and possibly assisting the villagers, by SAHELIAN TIMES, the Managing Director, Rural Water and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA), Salisu Ibrahim Bichi, said he is not aware of the situation in Dan-Kuni village, as it is the responsibility of Tofa Local Government Council to forward report of the situation officially to his agency.
We also visited the Tofa Local Government secretariat to meet the newly elected Chairman, but he has not been sworn in at the moment until 12th February, and there was nobody to talk to there.
A resident at the village told us that they had been complaining about the bad condition of their village to the politicians especially during campaign and they always promise to provide everything to the village but he said, “after the elections they will not see the face of anyone again in the village including the local government chairman who is very close to the people.”
